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Southeast Notes: Heat, Graham, Wizards, Smith

March 15th, 2021 at 8:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

While the Heat are still willing to make an upgrade, their recent surge allows them to be more selective as the trade deadline approaches, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Their $7.5MM trade exception will expire next Monday and the most likely candidates for that slot are Kings power forward Nemanja Bjelica ($7.2MM) and Thunder big man Mike Muscala ($2.3MM). Miami is unlikely to give away a key young piece to acquire Rockets guard Victor Oladipo, Jackson adds.

We have more on the Southeast Division:

  • Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham will enter restricted free agency this summer (provided the team extends a qualifying offer) and some teams believe he’s available because the franchise will be hesitant to pay up for his second contract, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Graham’s perceived availability is tied to the fact that starter Terry Rozier is having a strong season and is signed through next season, while LaMelo Ball is the likely Rookie of the Year.
  • The Wizards probably won’t make any major moves before the trade deadline but they’ll be mindful of improving their defense if they complete any transaction, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. They are reluctant to add a shooter who is a subpar defender. They also have limited expendable resources and are close to the luxury tax line.
  • There’s no update yet on Ish Smith‘s injured right quad, Hughes tweets. Wizards coach Scott Brooks hopes to know more in the next 10-14 days. The veteran backup point guard, who has an expiring $6MM contract, was expected to miss six to eight weeks — it has been almost four so far.
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Trade Rumors: Hill, Ariza, Tucker, Hawks, Collins, Celtics, More

March 15th, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple playoff contenders have interest in Thunder veterans George Hill and Trevor Ariza, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, the Clippers are among the teams eyeing Hill.

Neither Hill nor Ariza is active right now for the Thunder. Hill hasn’t played since January 24 due to a right thumb injury, while Ariza has been away from the team all season, having been acquired in an offseason trade as a salary throw-in. Hill shouldn’t be out too much longer though, and there’s no indication that Ariza isn’t healthy.

The Thunder have been focusing on developing their young players, so Hill and Ariza are expendable. However, Charania notes that the team would be fine with retaining Hill, who is under contract for 2021/22 at a reasonable price ($10MM).

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from Charania:

  • The Rockets continue to discuss possible P.J. Tucker trades with teams like the Bucks, Heat, and Lakers, but the Nets are no longer believed to be actively involved, writes Charania. A Brooklyn deal for Tucker likely would’ve involved injured guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
  • The Hawks have made trade inquiries in recent weeks about wing players, per Charania. The team is currently missing two of its top young forwards, De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, due to injuries.
  • Hawks big man John Collins is among the potential trade targets being eyed by the Celtics, but Atlanta’s asking price is high, according to Charania, who says the team is seeking a high first-round pick and/or a talented young player. Collins is eligible for restricted free agency this summer.
  • The Pistons are after a second-round pick in exchange for veteran shooting guard Wayne Ellington, says Charania. Ellington is having a nice year in Detroit, with 10.6 PPG and a .422 3PT%.
  • Heat guard Avery Bradley and Grizzlies forward Gorgui Dieng are receiving interest from several teams, sources tell The Athletic.
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Thunder Trade Hamidou Diallo To Pistons

March 13th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 13: The trade is official, according to press releases from both teams.

MARCH 12: The Thunder are trading guard Hamidou Diallo to the Pistons for swingman Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. The future pick was originally acquired by Detroit from Houston in the Christian Wood sign-and-trade.

Diallo will be a restricted free agent with his qualifying offer projected to be worth approximately $2.1MM. However, the Pistons didn’t acquire Diallo to let him walk in free agency. They view him as a core piece, Wojnarowski reports in a separate tweet. Luguentz Dort‘s emergence made Diallo expendable, as Woj explains.

Mykhailiuk will also be a restricted free agent this summer. Currently, his QO is the same as Diallo’s.

The swap was executed by OKC general manager Sam Presti and his former assistant Troy Weaver, who was hired by Detroit last year as its GM and has nearly turned over the entire roster since then.

A second-round pick in 2018, Diallo has enjoyed a breakout season in his third NBA year with the Thunder. The 22-year-old is averaging 11.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 2.4 APG in 23.8 MPG. He’s a subpar 3-point shooter (career 26.2%) and free throw shooter (62.9%).

The 6’5” Diallo has a 7-foot wingspan and is extremely athletic, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. He’s currently sidelined by right groin soreness and hasn’t played since February 24.

Mykhailiuk, who began his career with the Lakers three seasons ago, has a different skill set. He’s a career 36.9% 3-point shooter and has knocked down 11 in Detroit’s last three games. He dished out a career-high eight assists in a loss to Charlotte on Thursday.

Overall, the 23-year-old Mykhailiuk is averaging 6.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG and 1.6 APG in 17.6 MPG over 36 games this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Pistons Notes: Diallo, Mykhailiuk, Smith, Plumlee

March 13th, 2021 at 2:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons agreed to a trade with the Thunder on Friday in which they’ll acquire guard Hamidou Diallo in exchange for swingman Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick. According to James Edwards III of The Athletic, the Pistons have pursued Diallo since Troy Weaver, a longtime Oklahoma City executive, was named GM. They currently can’t extend Diallo’s contract at a reasonable price for six months after acquiring him in a trade, but they intend to re-sign him in restricted free agency.

We have more from the Pistons:

  • Weaver essentially chose to make Diallo a long-term priority over Mykhailiuk — also a restricted free agent after the season — because of Diallo’s superior athleticism and length, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. Diallo better fits the mold of players that Weaver has added to the roster, Beard notes.
  • Guard Dennis Smith Jr. won’t play against Brooklyn on Saturday due to the league’s health and safety protocols, Edwards tweets. Smith, an unrestricted free agent after the season unless he receives a $7MM+ qualifying offer, filled in as the starting point guard with Delon Wright sidelined for a few games prior to the All-Star break. He returned to the bench as Wright’s backup in the first game after the break against Charlotte.
  • Many eyebrows were raised when the Pistons signed Mason Plumlee to a three-year, $25MM contract in free agency, despite the fact that he was a backup in Denver. Plumlee has validated Detroit’s decision while averaging 10.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG and 3.8 APG as a starter. Coach Dwane Casey lobbied Weaver to sign Plumlee, as Keith Langlois of the team’s website writes. “Coach Casey, this was his No. 1 guy he really wanted for our ballclub because of the different skills he brings, the experience, the locker-room presence,” Weaver said.
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Muscala Out Of Rotation As Youngsters Enter Mix

March 12th, 2021 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward/center Mike Muscala has been a regular, reliable rotation player for the Thunder so far this season, averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game to go along with 3.8 RPG and a .368 3PT% in 34 games (18.6 MPG). However, he received a DNP-CD in the team’s first game of the second half, with youngsters Aleksej Pokusevski and Moses Brown inserted into the rotation following their time in the G League.

“It took Mike out of the rotation, but Mike’s a pro and he’ll stay ready,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “Those conversations with Mike are easy, and he makes it easy because of how professional he is.”

It was just one game, but both Pokusevski (14 points, eight rebounds) and Brown (eight points, 12 rebounds) looked good, and there’s no reason to expect the rebuilding Thunder to dial back their young players’ minutes the rest of the way. A playoff team may have more use for a low-cost bench player like Muscala, so he’ll be worth keeping an eye on as the March 25 trade deadline nears.

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Amick’s Latest: Celtics, Barnes, Clippers, Lowry, Bagley

March 10th, 2021 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

Many front office people around the NBA believe the Celtics might trade for Kings forward Harrison Barnes prior to this month’s deadline, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Boston’s interest in Barnes has been reported multiple times this season, including on Tuesday by Chris Mannix of SI.com.

As Amick explains, Barnes is probably a more realistic target for the Celtics than players like Jerami Grant and Nikola Vucevic, whose teams would likely seek a more substantial return. Sources tell The Athletic that the Kings appear to be shifting into seller mode, so they could be intrigued by Boston’s first-round picks and young prospects, who would match Sacramento’s timeline.

Here’s more from Amick:

  • Sources tell The Athletic that the Celtics‘ interest in James Harden – and their involvement in the Harden sweepstakes – was more serious than Danny Ainge‘s comments at the time would suggest. Amick has previously reported that Boston was still in the mix during the later stages of negotiations.
  • The Clippers feel good about their core and if they make any trades, they’ll likely just address the margins of their roster, according to Amick, who hears from sources that Lou Williams no longer appears available, as he was in the offseason.
  • People around the NBA believe Kyle Lowry‘s $30.5MM cap hit will be an obstacle that may prevent the Raptors guard from being dealt, says Amick. The Clippers are among the teams with interest in Lowry, but may not be able to make the money work, according to Amick, who points to the Thunder‘s George Hill as a more affordable and attainable alternative for teams in need of a veteran point guard.
  • Finances will also be a factor for teams considering making a play for Kings forward Marvin Bagley III, per Amick. Bagley will make $11.3MM in 2021/22 and his qualifying offer in ’22 would be worth nearly $15MM.
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Thunder Recall Pokuševski, Boast Exciting Core

March 7th, 2021 at 5:44pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
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Thunder Recall Josh Hall From G League

March 4th, 2021 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams
  • The Thunder recalled rookie two-way player Josh Hall from the G League bubble on Wednesday, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Hall, who played in just one game for the OKC Blue at Walt Disney World, was listed on Wednesday’s injury report as out due to left knee soreness.
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Thunder Won't Have Fans At Home Games This Season

March 3rd, 2021 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Over half of the NBA’s teams are either currently hosting fans at their home games or have announced plans to do so soon. However, the Thunder won’t be joining that list. The team sent out an email to season ticket holders confirming that fans won’t be allowed to attend games at Chesapeake Energy Arena for the rest of the season, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets.

“The decision was based on several factors,” the Thunder said in their email, according to Mussatto (Twitter link). “The ultimate one being that the overall health and safety of our fans and our community is the most important thing to us.”

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NBA Announces 2020/21 Rising Stars Rosters

March 3rd, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the pared-down nature of the NBA’s 2021 All-Star weekend, a Rising Stars Game showcasing the league’s top rookies and sophomores won’t be played this year.

However, the league has still announced the rosters for the event, via NBA Top Shot, naming the 20 players who would have been selected to participate if the game was taking place. Here are those rosters:

U.S. Team:

World Team:

The 20-man group includes eight rookies and 11 sophomores. The 20th player, Porter, made the cut as a sophomore since he missed his entire rookie season in 2018/19 due to an injury — this is technically his third year of NBA service.

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